Google Ads Implementation

Google Ads Implementation Steps

Integrating Strala into your Google Ads implementation is a straightforward process that involves the following steps:

Verifying tracking template configuration

Granting Strala access to Google Ads account

Setting the tracking template at the highest possible level

Verify Tracking Template Configuration

Strala leverages Google's Tracking Template configuration in conjunction with their Value Track parameters to make set up as easy as possible. The existing Google Ads set up determines how the implementation will proceed. Strala needs to know if you have tracking templates set at the following levels and what specifically is happening in those tracking templates:

Account level tracking templates

Campaign level tracking templates

Ad Group level tracking templates

Ad level tracking templates

Grant Strala Read Only Access to Google Ads Account

Strala will need permission to read data from your Google Ads account. This permission enables us to automatically pull Google Ads metadata into your Strala Metadata Repository, eliminating manual work on your end. This also allows us to pull cost and usage metrics into the Strala Journey Stream Repository, which is foundational for marketing ROI analysis.

Strala will send you an email that contains an authorization link. Clicking this link will begin the process that grants Strala access to read data from your Google Ads account. Once account access is granted, Strala will read data from your Google Ads account to keep your Strala Metadata Repository in sync with Google Ads.

Set Tracking at the Highest Possible Level

If Tracking Templates exist on more than one level (e.g. account and campaign), AdWords will use the lowest-level template when possible

Strala will need the following Strala tracking template code added to the end of your tracking templates:

If you leverage tracking templates at an account level, this implies you have minimal tracking set up at any lower levels. If this is the level you use for Google Ads, this is the quickest path to Strala implementation. You will need to add the Strala tracking template code to each accounts' tracking template.

The easiest way to set the tracking template is through the AdWords interface.

Account level tracking template
Campaign Level Tracking Templates

If you leverage tracking templates at a campaign level, this will override any tracking templates set up at the account level. If this is the level you use for Google Ads, you will need to add the Strala tracking template code to each campaigns' tracking template. The easiest way to do this is through the Google Ads interface where you can select multiple campaigns and update them all at once.

Bulk update campaigns through Google Ads editor

Campaign level tracking template

Ad Group Level Tracking Templates

If you leverage tracking templates at an ad group level, this will override any tracking templates set up at the account or campaign levels. If this is the level you use for Google Ads, you will need to add the Strala tracking template code to each ad groups' tracking template. The easiest way to do this is through the Google Ads interface where you can select multiple ad groups and update them all at once.

Bulk update ad groups through Google Ads editor

Ad group level tracking template
Ad Level Tracking Templates

If you leverage tracking templates at an ad level, this will override any tracking templates set up at the account, campaign, or ad group levels. One of the issues with setting tracking templates at the ad level is changing the tracking template at the ad level will put your ads under review. Additionally Google will silently ignore changes at the ad level when those changes are made programmatically through the API.

Our recommendation is to remove tracking templates at the ad level and set tracking templates at a higher level. This will allow tracking templates to cascade down to the ad level, decrease the touchpoints needed to make a change, and keep maintenance more simple. Certain use cases will require setting tracking templates at the ad level, but Value Track parameters make those use cases rare.

If this is the level you must use for Google Ads, you will need to add the Strala tracking template code to each ads' tracking template. The easiest way to do this is through the Google Ads interface where you can select multiple ads and update them all at once.

One item of note is if your Google Ads are outdated and not compliant with Google's current validity check, you will not be able to modify the ads' tracking templates until the the non-compliant ads are fixed. Attempting to edit the ads manually will show you which sections are non-compliant. Resolving the non-compliance issues will allow you to modify the tracking template.

Bulk update ads through Google Ads editor

Ad level tracking template

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